At the UGA New Materials Institute, we believe that a material’s useful end-of-life should be considered at the design stage and that Green Engineering principles should be part of this process.
Jay Brandes stands with the new isotope ratio mass spectrometry system in the Skidaway Island Stable Isotope Laboratory. (Photo by Jackson K. Schroeder)
The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) recently installed a new, advanced isotope ratio mass spectrometry system which offers enhanced capabilities for evaluating critical measures of ocean health.
The Thermo ScientificTM DELTATM Q Light Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer was installed in the Skidaway Institute Scientific Stable Isotope Laboratory (SISSIL), which is directed by Jay Brandes, a professor of marine sciences at SKiO and a faculty member in the UGA New Materials Institute. The spectrometer offers unprecedented precision in evaluating solids and complex mixtures like amino acids or DNA for carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotope content. The system reduces sample size requirements and introduces cutting-edge capabilities, including the first liquid chromatography interface of its kind installed in the United States.
At SkIO, this state-of-the-art technology is already being applied to critical research areas such as dissolved organic matter cycling, oceanic carbon cycling, and fish migratory patterns. Stable isotopes, often called the “magnifying glasses” of environmental science, allow researchers to uncover secrets about nitrogen sources and eutrophication, food webs, and ecosystem health.
The new spectrometer was funded by a $404,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Click on the link below to learn more about how this transformative technology is advancing marine science research, or to reach out to Dr. Brandes to inquire about SISIL and its services.
Discover how the Bioseniatic℠ Laboratory at the UGA New Materials Institute is advancing environmental safety through germination studies. Germination studies assess a material’s toxicity andimpact on soil and plant health. By using sensitive species like corn, which absorb nutrients efficiently and showclear signs of unhealthy growth, we followthe OECD/OCDE 208 guidelines to evaluate seedling emergence and growth. Germination studies are conducted after respirometry studies. Together, these tests provide essential insights into product safety and biodegradability.Watch our video to see the process in action.
The project, titled Sustainable Bioplastics Prepared by Ultrasonic Treatment with Low CO2 Footprint, aims to revolutionize the production of bioplastics through advanced ultrasonic treatment methods. By significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process as well as energy consumption, the team hopes to provide a viable alternative biodegradable plastic to conventional plastic materials, contributing to global sustainability goals.
The international research team has been awarded approximately $863,000 from the EPSRC, while the NSF has committed $557,553 in support of the project, which commenced on September 1, 2024, and will conclude on August 31, 2027. This funding will enable researchers to explore cutting-edge techniques and materials in the field of sustainable technology.
Sergiy Minko (Nanostructured Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Franklin College and Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors, Georgia Power Professor of Polymer Science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences) from UGA will collaborate closely with Dmitry Shchukin (School of Physical Sciences) from UoL on this pioneering project. Together, they will leverage their expertise to investigate the efficacy of ultrasonic treatment in producing high-quality bioplastics that minimize environmental impact.
“The ongoing project is using different sources of biomass waste and side products of the agricultural, pulp and paper, and biofuel industries to improve the efficiency of biomass valorization,” Dr. Minko said. “The research program will resolve the challenges of converting quite complex composition and variable properties lignocellulosic biomass into bioplastics for food packaging, construction materials, fibers, and other commodity plastic applications.”
Research teams from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute will conduct eight projects in 2025 for the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, or CB2. The 2025 projects were selected at the group’s fall meeting by CB2’s Industry Advisory Board.
Imrie Ross worked an undergraduate in a research laboratory at the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. She talked to us about her experiences working at the UGA New Materials Institute and their impact on her education and career goals.
A pilot program co-managed by researchers from the UGA New Materials Institute to study curbside collection of food scrap and other organic waste in Athens-Clarke County resulted in more than 19 tons of collected material in three months, along with the community’s desire for more.
Congratulations to Brad Gilleland on receiving the 2024 Literary Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators at the group’s annual conference held last month. The Literary Award recognizes an AMI member who contributed an outstanding article to the Journal of Biocommunication, as judged by the journal’s editorial board. Gilleland is a coauthor on our manuscript published by the journal, “A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic™ Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations.”
FDM prints of a deformed domestic cat skull using PLA- (left) and PHBHHx- (right) based filaments. Photo by UGA/Brad Gilleland
Manuscript documenting study nominated for award
A non-toxic, biologically degradable 3D filament developed for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) had superior degradation and comparable precision in printing instructional and clinical medical specimens, when compared to samples from a conventional 3D filament, according to a study from the University of Georgia New Materials Institute. Additionally, the manuscript to document the study, “A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic™ Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations,” has been nominated for the 2024 Literary Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators. The award will be presented later this summer at the group’s annual conference.
The filament, developed by a team at the UGA New Materials Institute, is made from a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), or PHBHHx, material. Printed cat vertebra, a skull bone, and an aortic arch cast from the PHBHHx-based filament had comparable surface quality when compared to conventional materials. The medical illustrations used to print the samples were designed by co-author Brad Gilleland, a medical illustrator in the Educational Resources Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who is a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators.
Samples of the PHBHHx-based extrudates degraded rapidly under industrial composting conditions, in under two months with no visible polymer remaining. Respirometry studies conducted by the UGA New Materials Institute’s Bioseniatic℠ Laboratory found the PHBHHx-based filament met the criteria for it to be described as a Bioseniatic™ material, achieving greater than 90% mineralization within 32 days in industrial composting conditions. No micronized plastic particles larger than 10 microns were formed during biodegradation, per Raman microscopy, and an earthworm study found the PHBHHx filament was nontoxic to Eisenia fetida.
“A Biologically Degradable and Bioseniatic Feedstock for the High-Quality 3D Printing of Medical Illustrations” was published recently in the Journal of Biocommunication, 47(2), https://doi.org/10.5210/jbc.v47i2.13246. Additional co-authors on the study are Joshua C. Bledsoe, Austin F. Wright, Evan M. White, Grant H. Crane, Christopher B. Herron, Jason J. Locklin and Branson W. Ritchie. Their work was funded in part by a grant from the RWDC Environmental Stewardship Foundation.
The UGA New Materials Institute is committed to preventing waste through the design of materials and systems that adhere to Green Engineering principles. The Institute partners with industry and businesses to design materials for their use that are bio-based, fully biodegradable, or completely recyclable, and safe for people, animals and our planet. In addition, it works with businesses, governments, foundations and other organizations to redesign systems so that they generate less waste and promote circularity in materials management. The New Materials Institute is also shaping the future by training the next generation of scientists and engineers on the importance of considering Green Engineering design principles in everything they do. For more information, visit www.newmaterials.uga.edu.
Assembly of the steel roll carts at the UGA New Materials Institute in late January. From left:
Mira Ngoc Le, Michael Kandefer, Shawn Wallbillich and Austin Wright. Photo by Evan M. White
Athens-Clarke County is contemplating continuation and expansion of a program for curbside pickup of food waste and other organic materials that can be composted instead of landfilled, based on recent success with a pilot program conducted in partnership with the UGA New Materials Institute and funded by the Walmart Foundation.
For more information on the pilot program’s success, read this recent story from The Flagpole.
Student Profile: Imrie Ross
